Socialist Democrats love their country, believe in a National Health Care System, free education and Social Services for all its citizens not just a select few. A Nation that puts People over Corporate Greed and Profit. A Nation that also understands freedom of Religion or no Religious beliefs are a persons right. We are the Party of the Working Class, the Poor and
Downtrodden. The Party of Unionism and fare and equal work rights for all hard working Americans.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Earmark Ban Hurts Re-Election Campaigns

By Ryan Teague Beckwith May 21, 2012 – 5:08 p.m.

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Earmark requests sit in a file cabinet in a House committee office in this 2010 file photo. To buy this photo, go to: http://roll.cl/cqrcpix

The earmark ban has made it hard to run for re-election.
In years past, many lawmakers talked about earmarks as a way to show their concern about local problems, Roll Call’s Meredith Shiner reports.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell represents a case study of just how far Republicans have shifted on this issue.
The Kentucky Republican, once a champion of earmarks, ran for re-election with 2008 on a series of 30-second television spots tailored to six media markets and the projects he supported in those areas.
Dubbed “Future,” each ad showed the Republican leader speaking directly to the camera and then providing voice-overs for different shots of the Bluegrass State. In Northern Kentucky, he bragged about the regional airport. In Central Kentucky and Louisville, he talked about the University of Kentucky and Louisville University, respectively. He talked about riverfront development in Paducah, Owensboro and Bowling Green.

From fiscal years 2008 to 2010, McConnell sponsored $458 million worth of earmarks.